Lubricating device for bearings on a shaft



C. A.'RUPP LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR BEARINGSHONN SHAFT lmjigimsrl Filed4 eb. 26,*1929 July 19, 1932.

Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED 'STATI-:s

PATENT y OFFICE" CARL A. RUPP, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO COMMERCIAL IRON WORKS` OF LOS ANGELES, OF LOS ANGELESCALIFORNIA, ACORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA l LUBRIGATING Dnvron` Fon BEARINGS oN A srmrp Original application led February 26, 1929, Serial No. 342,694. Divided and this` application led March.

v 12, 1930. serial 110,435,283.

My invention pertains to a lubricating device for bearings on a shaft.

An object of my invention is a device which may be utilized to secure proper lubrication [l of the various bearings on a shaft when there are more than one of such bearings and in whichv the lubricant is fed axially through the shaft. With my invention the device may be applied to either stationary or rotating shafts in .which the shafts may rotate in bearings to be lubricatedlor with a stationary shaft with which some mechanism rotates on the shaft and requires lubrication.

Ithas been found that where a lubricant is forced longitudinally through a bore in a shaft and through a plurality of openings to bearings, that the lubrication is Vsometimes unequal, or not distributed in the manner required. For instance, if one bearing should be loose and another tight, the bullr of the lubricant will bepr'essed outwardly through the loose bearing and a right bearing will receive insufficient lubricant. An object therefore of my invention is a device and method of lubricating bearings' on a shaft by forcing the lubricant axially through such shaft 4and lubricating one bearing at a time where there are a plurality ofsuch bearings, also in choosing or selecting which particular bearing shall be lubricate A still further object of my invention is Y providing a shaft having an axial bore with ducts extending radially or in an outward direction from such bore to the surface of the shaft in order to lubricate bearings, and inthis bore I insert a grease tube which may be reciprocated longitudinally of the shaft and hence of the bore. providedV with ports `which may be aligned with the various ducts to the bearings selectively and when one port yis alignedwith a duct, the other ports are closed bythe walls of the shaft and hence the grease which is forced longitudinally through the grease tube can only be expelled through the port which is aligned with one of the grease ducts and hence only one bearing lubricated at a time.

Another detail feature of my invention is mounting lthe grease tube on the shaft in The grease tube is Y 'sucha manner that such tube rotates with y presses, filed February 26, 1929, and again another object and lfeature of my invention is a center lubricating device by means of which the two clutch bearings can be lubri- Y cated from the outer extreme end of the clutch or drive shaft. My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

` yFig. l is-a longitudinal section ofone of the shafts illustrated inmy `pat-ent application above mentioned, showing the mounts for a rotary shaft and indicating'in dotted lines the bearings to be lubricated; Fig. 2'is'a detail horizontal section partly in elevation, showing the shaft in elevation, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in the .direction of the arrows; 1 Fig. 3 is Van end elevation taken in the direction ofthe arrow 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 in the directio'nof the arrows. f In regard to the illustrations, the shaft is designated by the numeral 22, va portion of the frame of the printing press and a portion ofthe main panel thereof are designated by the numeral 18 and a stand located in f ront or to'lone side of this-panel by, the numeral 19. The shaft 22 is mounted in bearings in the panel andthe frame and such shaftis indicated as having a ily wheel 23 on the outside of the st-and 19 and a pinion 24 keyed thereon adjacent the panel18.

The clutches indicated in my prior application designated by the numeral 21 are indicated dotted in Fig. l, and in the illustration there `are the bearings ofthe clutches which f are to be lubricated. In order toselectively lubricate the bearings of either the upper or lower clutches,`I utilize the construction illustratedinFigs. 1 to 4, which may be considered as operating either in connection'with the shaft 22. The shaft has a longitudinal bore 119 which has a reciprocalgrease tube 120 mountedV therein. There "aref lateral transverse grease ducts 121 and 122 from the bore 119 and these lead into longitudinal grooves 123 to the clutch bearings indicated in 124. Y

A closure plug 125 is fitted in the inner end of thetubing 120 and there is a bleeder duct 126 leading from the end of the bore v119 to the surface of the shaft. The outer end of the grease tube 120 has a coupling 127 mounted thereon, preferably being screw threaded. with grooves 129 in its periphery which grooves are engaged by studs 130 screwed into the'end of the shaft and through acap disc 131, this cap disc being illustrated as fitting over the hub 132` of one of the fly wheels. By this construction the coupling Y127 is forced to rotate with the shaft and hence the grease tube also rotates with the shaft and cannot rotate relatively thereto. The sleeve 131 mounted on the cap 131 is to protect the operators from having their clothing caught in the rotatinggreasecup.

A grease cup 133 is secured to the end of the coupling 127 and by pulling out on the grease cup the coupling may be slid outwardly through the space 134 between the cap disc 131 and end of fly wheelhub, thereby pulling the-grease tube 120 and shifting the port 135 to a register with grease duct 121 and the port 136 out of register with grease duct 122.

In this position grease mayv be. forced into the outer clutch bearing nearest the. stand 19. In a similar manner, when the vgrease cup is pushed upon to its innermost position as shown in Fig. 1, the grease port136 will come to register with grease duct 122 and the port 135 will come'ou-t of register with duct 121 and make itpossible to force grease into the remote bearing of Clutch.

Thevbleeder duct 126 serves as an escape for any grease that may collect between end of tubeY 120 when pulled out and end of bore 119 which would'hamper getting tubebaek to itsinner position. Y Y

From the above construction and description it willbe seen that when my invention is applied to a rotary shaft, that a plurality of bearings VYmay beselectively glubricated, such bearings being situated longitudinally of they shaft. Itfis likewise apparent that the same system Y-of lubrication willlapply to a stationary shaft on which devices rotate, of which the bearings are toy be lubricated. While in the illustration Il have indicated only two bearings'to be lubricated selectively,it is quite apparent that a larger number may. be ubricated in the same manner by having a duct to 'each of the bearings from 'f o the central boringshaft and having ports in the saine greasetube to align with such ducts.

'Various changes may be made in the principles of my Vinvention withoutv departing from the spirit thereof asset forth in the description, drawing and claims.

l I claim;

This'coupling has a flange `128y extending from saidV bore` outwardly and 'adaptedto convey grease tol'bearings, a

grease tube Vin the'said bore and having ports to connect with the saidv ducts, and means to move the grease tube to selectively open and close any duct by` registering one of the ports with said ducty and removing the other ports out of register with the other ducts,

and means to flow grease through the said tube, the ducts and ports being different distances apart. y y v 3. A lubricating device comprising. a shaft `having a longitudinal bore with grease ducts extending outwardly therefrom, adapted to lubricate a plurality of bearings, a grease tube lit-ted in they bore and shiftable'longitudinally,A the tube having a plurality Vof ports, said ports being arranged wherebyonly one port can 'be` in registry with one duct at a. time, lthe.` said -tube being shiftable to bring a port in alignment with any one duct and thereby selectively expel grease through the selected duct, and means to flow grease through the said tube, the. ducts and portsbeing different distances a part.

4. A lubricatingdevice as claimed in claim 3, means interconnecting with the tube and forming a stop to position the tube with designated ports in alignment with a designated duct.

5. A lubricating device, comprising a sha-ft havingY a longitudinal bore with a plurality of ducts leading from said bore out?.

Wardly, adapted to lubricate bearings, a grease tube slidably mountedin the saidbore and having a plurality ofl ports, means to force grease longitudinally through the said tube and means to slide the said tube predetermined distances in and out of the said bore to selectively bring a port into registry with a particular duct, the ducts and ports being different distances apart.

6. A lubricating device as'claimed in claim 5, means interconnecting the tube and the shaft to cause the rotation of such tube with the rotation of theV shaft.v f

7. A lubricating device comprising in combination a. rotatable shaft having a longitudinal bore with lateral ducts tothe surface of the shaft, adapted to convey grease to bearings, a tube connected to a lubricant supply and slidable longitudinal in the bore and the end of the tube to shift said tube longitudinally in the bore, and means interconnecting the shaft and the said shifting means to rotate the said tube with the shaft, the shifting of the tube being adapted to selectively register any desired port with any dpesired duct.

8. A lubricating device as claimed in claim 7 the said shaft having in addition a bleeder duct leading from the end of the bore to the surface of the shaft, adapted to convey surplus lubricant.

9. An oiling means for a shaft, comprising a rotary shaft having a central slidable tube connected to a lubricant supply and rotatable with the shaft, a plurality of ducts through the shaft from the tube to bearings to be greased, a plurality of ports through the tube, said ducts being adapted to register with the said ports on movement of the tube longitudinally of the said shaft, the ducts and ports being different distances apart, one port and one duct only registering at one time.

10. A lubricating device, comprising in combination a rotatable shaft having a longitudinal bore with ducts leading from said bore to the surface of the shaft and adapted to convey lubricant to bearings, a tube connected to a lubricant supply and longitudinally slidable in the said bore and having a plurality of ports, said; ports being positioned whereby only oneport can register at one time with a duct, a coupling secured to the end of the tube, pins secured to the shaft and engaging the coupling, whereby said coupling and tube are forced to rotate with the shaft.

11. A lubricating device comprising a shaft having a longitudinal bore, a plurality of bearings on the outside of the shaft, a duct leading from the said bore to each bearing` a grease tube slidably mounted in the said bore and having a plurality of ports, means to force grease longitudinally through the said tube, and means to slide the said tube predetermined distances in and out of the said bore to selectively bring a port into registry with a particular duct, the ducts and ports being different distances apart. Y

12. A lubricating device comprising a shaft having a longitudinal bore with a plurality of grease ducts extending outwardly from the bore and adapted to convey grease from each duct to a bearing, a grease tube in the bore and having ports, contiguous ports being spaced at different distance apart than the distance apart of contiguous ducts, the said tube extending beyond one end of the shafts and having a grease supply device connected thereto, and means to move the grease tube longitudinally of the said shaft to selectively register any port with one of the ducts and remove the other ports out of registry with the other duct.

13. A lubricating device comprising a rotatable shaft having a longitudinal bore, a. plurality of ducts leading from said bore to the circumference of the shaftA and each adapted to communicate with a bearing, a grease tube slidably mounted in said bore and having a plurality of ports, means to force grease longitudinally through the said tube, means to slide the tube predetermined distances in and out of the said bore to se1ectively bring a port into registry with a particular duct and all of the other ports out of registry with the ducts, and means to rotate said tube with the said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name Vto this specification. y

Y CARL A. RUPP. 

